Card-selector mechanism



Dec. 17, 1929- F. F. c.`RlPPoN 1,739,651

CARD SELECTOR NECHANISM Filed Dc. 27, 192e 2 sheets-sheet 1 De- 17, 1929 F. F. c. RlPPoN GARD SELECTOR MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 27, 1928 Patented Dec. 17, 1929 PATENT OFFICE FRANCIS F. C. RIPPON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CARD-SELECTOR MECHANISM Application led December 27, 1928. Serial No. 328,671.

'lhis invention relates to a mechanism for selecting any one of a plurality of cards and for bringing it to a convenient exposure station for observation or for the placing on it of additional data. The principal object of the invention is the provision of such a machine in a simple and efficient form. A further object of the present invention is the provision of means for rapidly returning the 1o selected card to normal position.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device partly broken away to show the mechamsm;

Figure 2 is an elevation of the card carrier and the pivoted selecting means;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the `pivoted selector and one of the guides;

Figures 4 and 5 are a top plan view and a 20 side elevation of one of the racks; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the cylinder which engages the rod upon which the carrier is hung.

In the extremely simple form illustrated 25 in the drawings the mechanism includes a box having a top 10 and side walls 11, the former having an opening or window 12 into registry with which a desired card may be brought.

This window or opening l2 constitutes what 3o I may term the exposure station. The cards 14 are preferably detachably secured in a carrier 15 by any convenient mechanism such as the corner pockets 16 as shown or by springs engaging the cards at one or more points 0r 35 by any .other well-known mechanism. As illustrated, each carrier 15 is an elongated rectangular piece or strip of flexible material,

preferably very thin aluminum, having a weight 17 at its lower end and having a small 40 rod 18 at its upper end, this rod extending beyond the margin of the carrier on either side and serving to support the carrier in an arcuate member 20`supported from the sidesll of the box.

Pivoted to the sides 11 of the box on either side of the carriers 15 isa pivoted selector comprising a segmental gear 23 above its pivot and having an arm 24 extending below the pivot, the arm 24 being in the nature of a cylindrical guide slotted as at 25 to receive the projecting guiding lug 27 of the carrier conveying cylinder 28 which fits somewhat snugly in the guide of the pivoted selector.

Referring particularly to Figure 6, the cylinder is laterally slotted as at 29 so that as 55 the selector moves about its pivot the slot 29 will clear the projecting ends of the rods 18, these rods projecting some little distance on either side of the supports 20 as best seen in Figure 2. A groove 30 is provided in the 60 bottom of the slot 29 in order to position the rod 18 of the selected carrier when the cylinder 28 is moved upward through the guide in the arm 24. A cord or wire 33 is connected at one end to the screw eye or other fastening 65 34 in the cylinder and at its free end is conneotcd to a spring 35 tending at all times to hold the cylinder 28 against the stop 36 in the lower end of the arm of the pivoted selector.

A pair of drums is mounted on a shaft 41 journalled in the sides of the box and carrying at one end a small pinion 42 meshing with a gear 43, the latter manually operated by means of a rack 44 so that a relatively small movement of the rack 44 will cause a relatively large movement of the drums 40 to which are secured the free ends of cables 46 passing through the stationary guides 47 to the guides from the arms 24. It is preferred that the curved end 50 of the stationary guide 47 have a bell mouth as at 51 to insure entry of the cylinder 28 in all positions of the selector, the cord or cable 46 being connected to the cylinder so that movement of the rack 44 will draw the cylinder 28 against the tension of the spring 35 upwardly through the pivoted guide in the arm 24, through the curved portion 50, and horizontally through the guide 47 carrying with it whichever carrier 15 is in registry with the arm 24 at the time the rack 44 is operated.

The operation of the device is as follows: The operator desires to make an entry on card No. 76. The first step is to move the rack 95 until the numeral 7 thereon is in registry with a mark on the top of the box signifying that the seventh carrier is now in position to be engaged by the cylinder 28. The operator now moves the rack 44 until the numeral 6 thereon is in registry with a fixed mark on the casing at which time the sixth card on the selector will be directly beneath the window 12 and will be supported on a table 57 so that the card may be Written upon. Each of the racks is furnished with a spring pressed locking mechanism in order first to hold the pivoted selector beneath the desired carrier and second to maintain the withdrawn c a'rrier in correct registry with the window. When the operator has finished with the card the carrier is released and the spring will rapidly return the cylinder v28 to normal position against the stop 36 just beneath y the rod 18 and in such position that the slot 29 will allow the cylinder 28 to move free all of the rods. The carrier however does not move to the extreme end of the travel of the cylinder owing to the engagement of its rod 18 with the support 20.

It is to be particularly understood that the device as illustrated is in an extremely simple form and that in actual practice there will preferably be one hundred carriers in each box. The number of cards will, however, be preferably kept at ten to the carrier as illustrated but the carrier itself may form the cards since it is not necessary in'any way to the invention that the individual cards on any carrier be separate and distinct from each other, although this is quite convenient. If the cards themselves form the carrier as by consisting of a single long rectangular paper it will be necessary to have a somewhat heavier Weight 17 at the bottom thereof in order to assure that the carriers shall lie taut.

I claim 1. In a selector embodying a plurality of carriers each supporting a plurality of cards spaced one from the other, the combination of a casing having a writing opening therein, pivoted means for engaging a desired carrier, and means for moving one of said carriers to position one of the Cards thereof in registry with said writing opening.

2. In a selector, a table, a stationary support at one side of said table, a plurality of carriers loosely mounted in said support, a pivoted guide above said support adapted vto be moved into registry with any one of said carriers. a stationary guide, and means adapted to travel within said guides for directing a carrier from said support to said table.

3. In a card selector mechanism the combination of stationary means for supporting a plurality of cards in vertical planes, a casing having a writing opening therein, a pivoted selector adapted to move into registry with any one of said cards, and means for Withdrawing said card from its support and presenting it beneath said writing opening.

4. In a card selector mechanism the combination of stationary means for supporting a plurality of cards in vertical planes, a casing having" a' writing opening therein, a piv'- Y oted selector adapted to move into registry with any one of said cards, means for withdrawing said card from its support and moving it to a position in registry with the writing opening, and means for returning said card to its su port.

5. In a cardD selector system comprising a plurality of carriers each having a plurality of cards detachably mounted thereon, an arcuate support for the carriers, means for supporting the said carriers in spaced relation on said support, a horizontal writing table, means for withdrawing any one of said carriers from said support and for positioning any one of a plurality of the cards of the selected carrier upon saidV writing table, and means for returning said carrier to its position on the support.

6. VIn a card selector system, a stationary support, a carrier having a laterally extending projection at the top thereof, projecting beyond the sides of the support, means for engaging said projection, a guide for said engaging means, and means for returning said engaging means to normal position beneath said projection.

7. Apparatus of the character described comprising in combination, a stationary storage receptacle, means for disposing a plurality of groups of cards in said stationary storage' receptacle, an'exposure station, and means V.for selectively withdrawing a predetermined group of cards from said stationary storage receptacle and selectively presenting a predetermined card of said group at said exposure station.

8. Apparatus of t-he character described comprising in combination, a stationary arcuate support, a plurality of card carriers mounted on said arcuate support, a selector pivoted at the center of curvature of said arcuate support, and means for moving said selector about its pivot to register the selector with a desired card carrier on said arcuate support.

' FRANCIS F. C. RIPPON. 

